1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing lures, and more specifically to a well-known class of fishing lures formed of a soft, pliable plastic material having a wormlike appearance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been available for sports bass fishing for years a class of artifical lures known as "plastic worms." These lures are usually fabricated from a soft, pliable plastic material in the shape of a worm, with the hook being extended through the plastic in any one of a number of rigging configurations.
A number of different design features have been adapted for use with plastic worms for bass fishing over the years. In one example, the plastic worm forms a generally cylindrical body tapering to a small, flat tail forming a "paddle" at the rearward extremity of the worm.
A second design feature, commonly referred to as the "curly tail" consists of a generally flat ribbon tail occupying a small portion of the rearward extremity of the worm, and forming a single "hook" at the rearward extremity of the plastic worm. Examples of "curly tail" plastic worms are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 237,274; Des. 241,346; Des. 241,347; Des. 242,347; Des. 242,348; Des. 243,175; Des. 243,176; and Des. 249,536.
Through extensive research into bass fishing, it has been determined that fully 95 percent of all strikes occur between the time the plastic worm hits water and the time that the worm arrives at the bottom (or to whatever depth the fisherman permits the lure to descend). This period of time is known as the "drop time." It is therefore desirable that the drop time be as long as possible. Since a larger amount of plastic will cause the worm to be more buoyant, it would initially seem that a plastic worm formed of a cylindrical body which extends with as thick a diameter as possible to the tip end would achieve the longest drop time. However, such worm designs suffer from a lack of movement, or "action" and thus do not adequately attract fish. To this end, the curly tail design does provide some fish-attracting action during the drop time. However, the curly tail worm has a tendency to spin during movement through the water, thus causing the fishing line to become twisted. Further, to obtain a fish-attracting action in many plastic worm designs, it is necessary for the worm to move rather rapidly either during the drop time, or during the retrieve as the worm is being reeled in to the fisherman.